The Rejects book 1: Deep Freeze
by Phantomlink959
Summary: For all the pressure Atlas Academy places on its graduates to enlist with the Special Operatives unit, not everyone makes the cut. Lead by veteran specialists Callum Abate and Benton Redwood, The Atlesian First Enhanced Infantry is a unit comprised of such men. After the Fall of Beacon, they are sent to a remote prison under siege; The Ice Box
1. Prologue: Down Time

A/N: I know the prologue and chapter 1 are SUPER short, still not sure why I split it (they were originally written as a single chapter of moderate length). Starting with 2 the chapters get significantly longer and, in my opinion, better.

* * *

"Room for one more, mate?"

The familiar voice seemed to drown out the sounds of the bar as the red haired man shifted his gaze away from the bottle of bourbon in front of him, sharing a displeased grunt as he observed the white-clad soldier who dropped himself onto the stool beside him, "Callum." he greeted.

"How's the drink treatin' ya?" Callum inquired; left arm whirring softly as he signalled the bartender to bring him a double, "Last call then back to base, yeah?" it was disguised as a question; but the faunus soldier had been assigned under Callum long enough to know how it worked.

"Orders are orders." Stein's massive hand engulfed the bottle as he tilted his head back; draining what was left in one go before setting a few Lien down on the bar. "Thought it was my day off, what's up?"

"Dispatch order from Ironwood; briefing in an hour." the specialist explained, knocking back his own drink and walking off without paying; leaving his subordinate to foot the bill.

"Do we REALLY have to walk back?" the large faunus complained, curling his arms across his chest; his own prosthetic emitt ling a dull orange glow as he activated the de-icing function. "Five years and I'm still not used to this weather."

"Cold oughta sober ya up right quick. From the sound of things we're not gonna get a chance to sleep it off." Callum explained, thrusting his hands into the insulated pockets of his parka, "Besides, gives The Sheriff more time to track down the troublemakers. Asche 'forgot'" he withdrew his organic hand from his pocket to deliver air quotes, "his scroll on base again; and Hadrian is off doing who knows what as per usual."

"Asche is probably trying to get a message out to Camellia while he still can; don't think he's on speaking terms with Calypso at the moment. You know how family can be." Stein offered; shooting his commander a jealous glare from behind, "Knowing Hadrian… I'd rather not think about it."

"I wish, mate. Rory was fuming when I told her we were being shipped off without her again." Callum countered, ignoring the quip about their other comrade "I called sis to see if she could watch Jackie for a few months; but she's working triples in the lab to finish her personal project before the embargo sets in."

"Really think it'll get through the council? Atlas has a lot to lose in that deal. Beacon was a tragedy but cutting off the rest of the world cannot POSSIBLY end well." Stein swiped his scroll over a scanner as they passed the staff entrance at Atlas Academy.

"Enough chit chat for now, Stein. We can talk on the ride over." Callum waved, taking a sharp turn towards the teacher's rooms as Stein stayed the course towards the squad's assigned dorm.

Stein paused at the door, briefly contemplating the word "Rejects" scratched in on top of the room number as he clenched his fist. With a rumble that could wake the dead, the armor plating of his prosthetic retracted back over the forearm, allowing the civilian hand to rotate out with his preferred, clawed model. "Checking out at last." the faunus chuckled to himself, carving a deep line through the word and writing the number back in below it.

"Yeah, that door is definitely coming out of my salary." the large man accepted as he entered the room; allowing his arm to return to its resting state before setting about gathering his scarce belongings into a badly worn and worse repaired duffel bag. As per usual, he caught himself staring at the plain wooden frame containing the last picture taken of his own family before…

"Again with the picture? You had plenty of chances to talk to him while we were in Vale. At this point, there's nobody to blame but yourself." the stench of smoke filled the room as Asche spoke, strolling over to his bed and retrieving an already packed bag from beneath his bed, "The Sheriff says we're supposed to meet up in Ironwood's office as soon as we're packed. Him and Callum are cleaning out their office as we speak."

"Yeah, yeah." the faunus dismissed, tucking the frame into his bag slinging the thing over his shoulder, "Any word from Vacuo?" he inquired, making for the door as his companion followed.

"Circus has been booming since the CCT went offline; people need the morale boost, especially in the outlying villages." Asche explained, words hissing through the speaker on his gas mask, "Ty Junior and his team showed up right before they moved out from Wellspring; so they've got some extra hands on deck until Shade resumes classes." He removed a letter from a pocket on his flak jacket, passing it to Stein, "There was a message for you as well."

"Why would your sister send something for me?" Stein inquired, accepting it as they reached the headmaster's office.

"She didn't. It's from your son." Asche stated plainly before disappearing into Ironwood's office.


	2. Chapter 1: Dispatch

A/N: Just noticed that there was some weird stuff going on with this chapter for some reason. Deleted and re-upped to fix the problem. Leave a review if you feel like it; I'll keep writing even if this flops but if i get some positive feedback I'll probably pick up the pace a bit.

* * *

"Several days ago, I received a message from one of our remote outposts," the general declared, tapping a few keys on his desk to conjure up a hologram of what seemed to be a glacier on the tundra, "The warden of penal outpost alpha requested that Specialist Redwood be dispatched to provide support in the wake of recent Grimm attacks. It appears the unit currently garrisoned on base is unable to guarantee the security of the prison without reinforcements. Though I trust his judgement, I fear one man will not be able to turn the tide." Ironwood explained, circling his desk to stand before The Rejects.

"In light of these circumstances, you're being reassigned. It is paramount that the location of this facility -and the identity of all soldiers assigned there- remain guarded; as such you are to depart Atlas quietly with a routine supply shipment. Your unit's equipment has been transferred from the armory and is being loaded as we speak." Ironwood explained, dismissing the hologram, "If you have any questions, now is the time."

A plain looking soldier stepped forward from the line, arms crossed behind his back; "What is the purpose of the secrecy, general?" he inquired; voice an eerie monotone, "Is the facility not truly a prison?"

"While I cannot speak at length on the matter, I can confirm that the outpost is a prison; one designed to house inmates of a particularly dangerous persuasion." The general offered, gauging his words carefully, "After the security breach that occurred during the Vytal Festival, it was determined that it was within the kingdom's best interest to scrub all external records. As it stands, only the warden and on-site personnel know who is being held there and why."

"Thank you, General Ironwood." Hadrian gave an appreciative nod before stepping back into line. "I'm sure our time there will be a fascinating experience."

"Ideally not TOO eventful. If there are no more questions; report to the docking bay immediately." after a brief pause in case of other inquiries, the General returned to his seat behind the desk, "Dismissed, soldiers. Good luck."

* * *

Stein peered out the bay windows of the surprisingly large airship at the blizzard raging over the Solitas tundra, "Sure looks like a whole lot of nothing out here." he observed, dropping himself back into the uncomfortably small bench seat, "Hey Sheriff, any idea why this mysterious Warden asked for you to back him up?"

"I wouldn't rightly know," Benton shrugged, "I've served with plenty of Specialists, but can't think of any who would be particularly inclined for prison work."

"I hate all this secrecy. Never ends well." Asche muttered, the complaint barely audible through his mask, "There's gotta be some reason they'd want you. Think it could be medical? If they've had an influx of Grimm attacks there's probably injured in need of treatment. Can't think of many people better suited for that than you are." he suggested; staring past Stein through the viewport, "Shit, the real question is why they'd send our cold blooded brute all the way out here."

"Whatever, jackass. You're just jealous I have a prettier smile than you do." Stein grinned, flashing the crocodilian teeth resting in his jaw. "Besides, if they need more muscle I'm the obvious pick."

"One would struggle to argue with that conclusion." Hadrian offered dryly, "You are, indeed, one of the more substantial soldiers within the current ranks." the plain man said, an unsettling smirk crossing his usually emotionless visage, "However I can think of one individual that is your match."

"If you look to your right,," came a voice over the intercom, interrupting the team's banter, "You'll see a herd of Nightmares migrating under our flight path. Might make for a bumpy landing."

Benton immediately rose from his seat, disappearing through a hatch down to the cargo bay, popping his head back up briefly, "Hey muscles, need a hand." he ordered before vanishing once more.

Stein followed, squeezing his broad shoulders through the hatch made for much smaller men, "Which one?" he asked, dropping from the ladder and eyeing five crates lined up along one wall; each marked with the emblem of two crossed revolvers painted in different colors.

"Hm…" the sheriff pondered, pressing the intercom button, "Pilot, give me a terrain scan. How stable is the permafrost around here?"

After a brief silence, the intercom buzzed to life once more, "Pretty level. The herd is causing some damage to the upper crust but it doesn't look too bad. Wouldn't risk a high-impact landing but you should be clear once you're on the ground."

With a conclusive nod, Benton pointed to the furthest back crate, "Give me Lavender. Haven't taken him out for a spin in awhile."

"Got it." Stein took hold of a set of handles welded to the side of the crate, heaving it out into the open aisle before giving it a solid kick and sending it sliding back towards the door. "Happy hunting."


	3. Chapter 2: Lone Rider

A/N: Chapter lengths (and gaps between them) should start increasing from this chapter forward.

* * *

Benton slammed his fist onto the bay door controls; standing with his nose to the door as it began to drop open; the crate beginning to slide free of the cargo hold the moment it was clear. The Specialist took a few steps back before sprinting forward and flinging himself free of the airship.

The crate erupted mid-air sending panels flying to reveal a hovercraft stored within. Benton steered himself towards the vehicle in a controlled dive, mounting it just in time to make landfall; the gravity jets absorbing the impact as it rocketed forward towards the Nightmare herd.

"Time to wake up, Hercules" he whispered softly; pulling a chain from around his neck and plugging the attached device into the controls.

The jets cut instantly sending Benton and his craft sliding over the snow and ice as they folded into the sides; a set of equine legs kicking out from below and launching it a few feet off the ground as it began to transform. His seat slid back allowing the head of a robotic horse to fold out, taking the windscreen and hand controls with it and folding them into the chest as a rear panel slid down onto its belly, allowing a bundle of wires to extend into a tail as the transformation from machine to beast concluded.

The powerful machine pushed onward over the Atlesian tundra; quickly catching up to the Nightmare herd and matching pace with the monstrous eight-legged horses. Benton tapped a button on the back of his mount's neck, unlocking holsters that released a pair of heavy revolvers into the Huntsman's waiting hands.

Benton steered his mount towards the herd before flipping to ride side-saddle, aiming down the sights of his first revolver. With a crack like thunder the explosive round embedded itself in the haunches of his first victim; blasting the grimm in half and leaving it to dissolve into the aether. Taking a moment to line up his next shot, another Nightmare went down before the herd caught could react to his presence.

Now aware of their hunter the Nightmares split into groups; those leading the charge splitting in different directions as those closest to the back slowed to take aim. A chorus of whinnying unleashed a hail of flames, forcing Benton to spin back into place on Hercules before steering away to buy himself room to work. The dark-haired Huntsman rose from his seat with practiced ease, kicking off and landing on a Nightmare's back.

Benton plunged his revolver into the monster's neck and fired a round; flipping backwards and riding the blast wave onto his next target. He perched on the next Nightmare to fire off a round into its abdomen, immediately diving away towards Hercules and dropping his revolvers mid-leap.

The would-be sheriff fell just short, grabbing hold of the mechanical horse's wire-y tail. Dragging himself forward, Benton slapped a release on Hercules' flank to retrieve the mare's leg rifle within. He aimed at the ground behind him and fired a shot, using the recoil to boost himself back into the saddle as his mount veered sharply away from the herd.

"You alright down there, mate?" Callum's voice came to life through his ear piece, "You're not retreating, are ya?"

Benton returned the mare's leg to its holster, dodging his revolvers as the embedded Gravity Dust recalled them to their holsters, "Not a problem, just catching my breath." he replied casually, pressing a finger to his ear.

"Hercules, how's my Aura?" a strip of colored lights lit up on the front of the huntsman's seat, measuring roughly ¾ full. "Alright. Round two." Benton felt the biting cold in his throat as he drew a few deep breaths. A quick top on the mech's shoulders, releasied a pair of sawed-off shotguns. "Get me close and pull ahead" the huntsman ordered, flicking the shotguns from pump to semi-automatic as he waited for Hercules to find his way into position.

Benton flipped around backwards in his seat as Hercules pulled ahead of the herd; aiming at the ground in front of the Grimm before opening fire. The Dust-infused slugs exploded into earthen spikes. Unable to stop in time to avoid impalement, the first rows of Nightmares met a quick end against the blockade. Their numbers drastically reduced, the first group of Nightmares scattered, turning about to flee in the opposite direction.

"Callum, I'm blind out here. Find me the next group." he requested; stowing his shotguns. From within the beast, a whirring could be heard as the weapons reloaded from the internal magazines.

"Hercules, manual control." at Benton's signal, the mech leapt from the ground; legs folding back inside to allow the hover jets to re-engage, reversing the earlier transformation.

* * *

Back inside the shuttle, Callum had joined the pilot in the cockpit; one finger resting on his temple as he cycled through the visual modes on his cybernetic eye. "Can't get a lock, mate; they're lost in the storm. I'd wager they're still heading towards the prison; adjust heading and match our flight path." the one-armed man suggested.

"Pilot, get ahead of the herd" Callum ordered, returning to the crew seats and grabbing his weapon from the bench before heading down to the cargo bay; joining Stein near the door.

"Lavender isn't built for this terrain..." the large man observed, staring out into the blistering snow and tightening his grip on a balance bar alongside the open door, "Think he'll need Blue?"

"Could do." the sniper shrugged, grabbing a safety harness from a rack and strapping it on over his jacket. "Tie me down, yeah?" the silver-haired soldier requested, offering his companion a tether with a clip at one end.

"Yep." Stein accepted the tether, stretching up and latching it onto the bar mounted above the door. "Just stay left in case I need to drop another crate; and keep a firm grip on Viper. If you lose it out here I don't think we'll be able to find it."

"It's just a gun, I can make another." Callum dismissed, tightening his grip on the weapon and taking a seat. The veteran allowed himself to slide down the ramp, kicking a knee up to balance his rifle as he scanned the blizzard for the tell-tale sign of Hercules' jets. The moment he spotted Benton riding in from behind the herd, he shifted aim to the leading Nightmare; holding sights on the Stallion. "Overwatch holding fire." he declared, allowing Benton to work in peace for the time being.

* * *

"Back to you" Benton offered, patting the side of his control console lovingly as the hoverbike began to shift back into horse form. He brushed Hercules' main of woven wires signalling it to lift up and grant access to the hilt to the stored weapon. "Get me in range." The Huntsman flicked the weapon out to his side, allowing the cat o' nine tails to unfurl while Hercules moved into striking distance.

Once they were close enough to go on the attack Benton lashed out at the nearest Nightmare with his whip, the bladed tips biting into the grimm's armor. "Come and get me!" he challenged, pulling back from the herd in an attempt to bait his target away from the group.

"Time to bail." came Callum's voice over the earpiece, "Group three on your six and closing fast," he warned as several shots rang out in rapid succession, dropping a number of Nightmares in an attempt to slow them down.

"Daddy didn't raise no quitter. Send me green and get clear." Benton instructed, transforming his mech back into hovercraft form. "I'm setting autopilot to track and priming the power cell for remote detonation."

Before he could finish speaking a hail of panels landed, crushing several Nightmares as Green landed next to him, the compact sport bike trailing behind automatically. With the flip of a switch, Benton retrieved Hercules' core, slinging it around his neck as he jumped over to the bike.

"See you at the landing pad, gentlemen." Benton let loose a burst of maniacal laughter as he revved to top speed, blasting away from the Nightmare herd as he tapped a button on his scroll.

In the distance a ball of purple light engulfed the Nightmare herd, unleashing an ice-shattering shockwave across the tundra.


	4. Chapter 3: Meet The Warden

A/N: I hope you fine readers are willing to stick with me while I shake the rust off; been awhile since I've written anything.

* * *

With the Nightmares routed the rest of the journey went smoothly, allowing the supply ship to touch down on a landing pad visible only from a ring of lights that illuminated when they came into view of the prison.

"Right boys, best behavior; hands behind your heads" Callum ordered coolly as Asche, Stein, and Hadrian lined up at the cargo bay door. "Warden only asked for Benton, so we might not get the warmest welcome without him on board."

True to expectations, a red dot appeared in the middle of each man's chest as the cargo door lowered to meet the ground; followed shortly by a group of heavily armored men rushing into the ship.

"Where's Redwood?" asked the apparent leader, checking Benton's picture on his scroll, "Who are you? And why are you here?"

"General sent us as backup, mate." the sniper explained calmly, "Sheriff's on his way, went out for a bit of a jog with some Nightmares on the way in." the glowing teal iris of his ocular prosthetic narrowed in on the soldier's scroll, sending a bypass signal through the device to tap into the base's signal relay. Within his field of view, a text interface appeared.

Focusing on the virtual keyboard, Callum wrote out a quick message to the sheriff.

C: "_Make it quick, mate. The locals aren't too keen on uninvited guests. Almost impressed by their snipers."_

B: "_Got me into their encrypted comms?"_

C: "_Of course. Patching you through to his scroll."_

The guard chief's scroll began to ring as Benton made contact, "Wait, how did you-" he started, only to be cut off by Benton.

"I minored in cryptography. Just don't shoot anybody until I get there."

"Fine." the guard officer agreed reluctantly; signalling for the snipers to hold their fire, "You four, off the ship and stay where I can see you." he ordered Callum and the others, following them down the ramp as his men began offloading supplies.

* * *

A short time later Benton emerged from the storm astride a slender green horse; dismounting as he reached the landing pad and pulling Hercules' core, triggering the mech to transition back into its vehicular form. "Sorry for the delay, folks. Had to swing wide." he explained, scratching the back of his head as he strolled over to the group; Green trailing behind on autopilot.

"Seeing as you're wearing standard issue combat armor, I'd assume you're not the warden?" the sheriff inquired; draping the chain on Hercules' core around his neck and tucking the device under his shirt.

"Correct, sir!" the guard captain saluted, "Are these men really with you? Warden didn't ask for a full squad." he inquired, confusion clear in his voice.

"I told ya' mate, General's orders." Callum retorted, staring down the captain.

"I've been serving with this sorry lot the last two years or so." Benton pointed over his shoulder at the gathered Rejects, "It was all of us or none of us. So, who is this mysterious Warden?"

"It's easier to show you than explain. Follow me." the captain flagged his men to open the doors, allowing Callum's team to finally shelter from the blizzard.

* * *

"Hey Guard, why is it so cold in here?" Stein complained loudly, his regret over wearing a sleeveless shirt rapidly growing.

"They only send a supply shipment every few months, whole base is insulated but we only heat occupied rooms to conserve Dust." he explained, giving The Rejects the short tour as they navigated towards The Warden's office.

"Guess that makes sense." he grumbled under his voice, crossing his arms and kicking in the heater in his prosthetic. "How did they build this place inside the glacier, anyways?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions for a Specialist. Base came first, they put the glacier up around as camouflage."

"If I might interject, Captain." Hadrian spoke up, "Stein is not a Specialist. Only Callum and The Sheriff hold that distinction." the cold man explained; maintaining his usual monotone.

"The rest of us didn't make the cut. I've got issues with authority, Stein's a special case, and that one is just plain too creepy." Asche noted, gesturing towards Hadrian. "And no, you don't get used to it."

"I… see. Well, you'll fit right in then. No sane man would accept this post." the captain dropped his head in defeat; any hopes of the new arrivals bringing normalcy to The Ice Box dashed in an instant. "Well, here we are. Warden's quarters. Good luck."

As the door hissed open, the man inside was met with a variety of reactions. Callum flushed pale, Stein recoiled instinctively, and Benton ducked out of sight.

A rare look of confusion crossed Hadrian's face as his purely logical mind attempted to process what he saw.

Inside was an enormous man clad in what at first appeared to be a thick, black fur coat, "Ear muffs?" he muttered in disbelief; taking a moment to realize that the mounds of fur on the side of the warden's head were his ears.

"Hm?" The Warden looked up from his desk, "Where is Little Benton?" he asked, scratching his thick beard

it was only when Hadrian saw The Warden's bare elbows that the pieces fell together. The massive man before them was bare-chested and covered with an inhuman volume of hair.

"Hey, Papa Bear." The Sheriff greeted, stepping around the corner. "Been awhile, eh?"

"Benton my friend!" he shouted cheerfully, shoving his desk aside to cross the room and wrapping the poor Specialist in a bone-popping hug. "It has been too long."

"Down please." Benton squeaked "Can't breathe." coughing and sucking air to refill his lungs as soon as he was released. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to George Petrov; my old team leader."

"Friend to Benton is friend to George. Welcome, comrades." the hirsut man proclaimed, giving each Reject a brief but crushing hug; resisted only by the equally muscular Stein.

"But I do not understand, I only requested the presence of Little Benton. Why the rest?" George said curiously, stepping aside to retrieve an enormous white coat; shrugging it on over his shoulders before pushing through the group into the hallway. "Come comrades. We eat, we talk."

Asche leaned over to Benton as the group began to follow after George, "I hate to be rude, but why isn't he wearing a shirt? I feel dirty."

"Eh, he's pretty hygienic. Nothing to worry about." Benton assured, not bothering to lower his voice "It's his Semblance, mostly. Pretty much immune to any temperature from liquid nitrogen to forest fire." the brown-haired huntsman explained.

"I imagine it'd be pretty uncomfortable to wear one over all that hair, too." Hadrian piped up, his attention briefly drifting towards a sign indicating Cell block B just before they reached the cafeteria.

"Come, friends. Join us for lunch." George offered with a grin, gesturing for the others to enter first. "Food not like Sangria, but better than gruel."

The interior of the staff cafeteria was -mercifully- warmer than the halls; with a number of off-shift guards dotted around doing their best to enjoy the meal provided. At one table sat a group of tired-looking men and women playing cards; a steaming cup of coffee next to each of them.

"I do best to keep guards happy, but is not easy; Ice Box was isolated even before we lose CCT." the bear faunus explained, ushering the new arrivals to a service window manned by an elderly woman. "This Sherry, she take care of us. Before her, we eat ration."

"Wait, they let you to bring a civilian on base?" Asche inquired; dumbfounded, "I thought this place was classified double top secret."

"Lookie here, boy." the old woman declared indignantly, pointing over her shoulder at a halberd leaning against the wall, "Ain't been a civilian since I was twelve." she explained, doing a quick head count and grabbing a few trays from a stack behind the counter as she began to serve up lunch for the team.

"My apologies, this mask keeps fogging up from the cold." Asche returned, tapping the plastic visor of his gas mask.

"Ah yes, why is mask, friend?" George asked, accepting a now loaded lunch tray from Sherry, "Air is cold, but not poison."

"It's for your benefit, not mine." Asche explained, lifting the mask onto his forehead. Taking a shallow breath, the soldier tightened his lips; blowing out a small ring of smoke before pulling it back down over his face. "My Semblance _Calabash _doesn't really turn off, but I can dial the power down. Mask keeps me from smoking out the room."

"No worries, friend. A little smoke won't hurt us. Now come. Sit, eat."

* * *

"I must ask, Benton." Hadrian was the first to speak up as George and The Rejects sat down to eat their meal. "Why, precisely, do you call the warden 'Papa Bear'"

"You can blame Sabrina for that one; bit of a joke on the old team." the sheriff dismissed, "When team GRSS was still together he made sure the rest of us were eating properly and getting enough sleep; basically playing team dad. Sabrina called him Papa Bear a few times and the name just stuck."

"Ah, Little Sabrina. Such a good girl, have you heard from her since The Fall?"

Benton sighed, dropping his head, "She's-" the sheriff shook his head, "She lost her husband. Killed by the AKs when the battle net got hacked.

"Beacon sad for all. I have not heard from my love since then; at night I lose sleep worrying for him." George proclaimed, holding back tears.

"What's his name mate? Got a friend in Vale who's been compiling a list of survivors." Callum offered, "Leader of my old team, as it happens," the sniper retrieved a notebook from his pocket.

"Umuthi, is not common name."

Callum closed the book, not even bothering to check. "Shit mate, he was one of the first names on the list; and he ain't been crossed off last I heard."

The bear-eared faunus breathed a sigh of relief, "I weep for Sabrina, but my heart is lighter."

A somber mood soon overtook the cafeteria, leading those gathered to finish their meals in a short-lived silence; broken by two simple words over the PA system.

"Minos inbound."


	5. Chapter 4: Cold War (Side A)

"All snipers to nest, ground troops standby." George ordered promptly, rising from the table and abandoning his coat. "Sherry, take friends to armory" he shouted to the elderly specialist before rushing out the door. "You, come." he ordered; pointing at Stein."

"Did they say Minos?" Stein asked, concern and confusion in his voice as he followed George, "What the hell are they doing in Solitas? I thought Minos only turned up in Vacuo and Menagerie."

"Is why call for Little Benton." the hairy faunus explained, taking a sharp turn and leading Stein towards the vehicle bay. "Very strange activity here. Grimm of other place, and many many attacks."

"Have you fought them before?" Stein's arm began to rumble as it transformed, his basic hand rotating out for the weaponized claws.

"I know of creature, but never fight." George shook his head as they arrived in the garage. "You have?" the warden kicked the foot of a large storage locker along one wall, causing the doors to slide open to reveal a large harness connected to a pair of heavy gauntlets by metal tubes. "Assistance please."

"A few times. Used to be part of the militia in Menagerie. Minos are tough SOBs; look like a bull, hit like a truck and built like a tank." the red-haired soldier explained, grabbing the harness portion and hoisting it onto George's back.

"The normal ones don't have any special abilities or powers, but the alphas are bad news. Five times stronger, ten times tougher, and able to disguise themselves as the basic ones."

"Is good to know. Thank you, friend." With his harness attached, George pulled a set of thick gloves up to his forearms. "You are good with fists, yes?" the warden inquired, reaching back and sticking his hands through the gauntlets.

"Damned right I am. But stay back if my Semblance kicks in, you don't want to be anywhere near me when that happens." now ready for combat the faunus pair approached the garage doors. At the push of a button, they slid open far enough for Stein and George to step through.

"Alright lads, got our weapons." came Callum's voice over the radio, "I'm heading for the sniper's nest; the others will be along shortly."

Stein flexed the bicep on his prosthetic arm, causing an outer panel slide open revealing a Dust revolver built into the prosthetic. Slowly turning his wrist, the active cylinder rotated out; swapping Fire for Stone. "What's the ETA?"

"Got eyes on, less than a minute out. I count 12." Callum announced, the sound of his rifle being primed audible over the radio. "Ready to show the locals how we do it?"

"You know it." Asche came crashing down beside Stein and George, having taken a shortcut from the sniper's nest. The masked soldier drew a pair of trench knives from a magnetic sheath on his back, holding them in a reverse grip.

"Why friend use tiny blade? How are you alive?" George asked, strolling forward as small arms on his gauntlets removed pale blue saw blades from attached magazines, slotting them into a mechanism on the back of each hand.

"Pay attention big guy, you'll figure it out."

* * *

The ground began to shake as the Minos stampede stormed towards The Ice Box to meet the waiting defenders. With a mighty roar, Stein charged forward; slamming his fist into the palm of his prosthetic and unleashing a mist of Stone Dust. As he drew it away, the energy coalesced over his fingers, forming into sturdy claws.

The crocodilian Faunus braced himself against the ground; catching the leading Minos by its bull-like horns. With a mighty grunt he shoved the bovine grimm upwards; releasing the horns and planting a kick in its chest. In an instant two cracks of lightning sounded; the powerful rounds from Callum's rifle shattering the creature's horns.

A massive shadow passed over Stein and his target, coming to ground atop the mighty beast. The embedded saw blades in George's gauntlets kicked out as he punched into the Minos' neck, thrusting outwards and cleaving its head from its body.

Behind them an engine roared to life as Benton set loose from the garage astride a bright red ATV, revolvers in hand. The Sheriff took a few pot shots at one of the Minos, leading it away from the herd. "Divide and conquer!" he commanded before disappearing into the blizzard.

"You heard the man, find your own this time." Stein snarked at George, grasping the horns of another Minos as it passed by and slinging himself onto its back.

"I love these guys!" George bellowed; the loading mechanism on his gauntlets rapidly switching out the Ice Dust blades for a pair of Lightning-infused ones. One of the Minos set eyes on the black haired Faunus, circling around to charge him from behind.

The Warden turned about in place, catching the Grimm with a left hook and firing the hydraulics in his gauntlets. A weighted disk slammed forward along the embedded cylinders, throwing an enormous amount of force into the blow and toppling the massive bull.

Taking a step forward, George delivered a mighty kick with his steel-toed boots before taking a few steps back as the Minos began to rise.

The grimm's flesh began to bubble and twist; torso elongating. The shoulders began to spread outward; becoming more defined as its forelegs swole, the joints twisting in their sockets.

"What is happen?" the hirsut faunus asked, "Minos is-"

The formerly bovine monster stood slowly; front hooves sinking into its ankles as four-fingered hands sprouted around them.

"Minotaur, the alpha form. Nothing you can't handle." Benton assured; his voice surrounded by radio static as the storm interfered with his signal.

* * *

Across the landing pad Stein gripped firmly onto the horns of his impromptu mount; jerking its head aside as it charged wildly in an attempt to dislodge him and steering it towards one of its own.

The faunus released his grip, slamming a fist down onto its forehead to force its horns into goring position as he rolled backwards off of the Minos. A quick flick of the wrist swapped Stone for Gravity, delivering a palm-strike that shoved one grimm horns-first into the other.

Another flick swapped back to Fire allowing the Faunus to follow-through with a scorching swipe of his bladed claws; unaware of the third Grimm charging him from behind.

The charge hit him hard and sent him flying backwards against sturdy metal walls of the Ice Box. Stein fell to the ground, aura sparking wildly as his Semblance began to kick in. The large man rose slowly; his pupils narrowed to pinpricks as he snarled.

The Minos approached him cautiously, sensing the sudden change in their target.

The large man began taking deep, heavy breaths; the fingers on his organic hand transitioning from plain flesh into thick, crocodilian claws as armor-like scales began to spread up his arms.

"Everyone stand clear! He's going feral!" warned Callum on an open broadcast.

Stein unleashed an inhuman roar, charging blindly at the bovine Grimm and lunging his claws through the skull-like mask of the one which had rammed him. With a sickening crack, he crushed its head between his hands.

The enraged man turned slowly towards his final challenger; eyes glowing faintly as the metamorphosis completed and his pupils elongated into reptilian slits.

The final Minos backed away, uncertain as Stein's rational mind went blank; reverting to an animalistic state.

Stein rushed forward on all fours towards the Minos, tackling it and heaving upwards; forcing the bovine Grimm to rear up. The feral faunus stretched his jaw wide open and lunged for the monster's throat; clamping down with incredible force and ripping it out.

* * *

George squared his shoulders, raising his fists defensively as he steadied his breathing. The Minotaur took a swing at him, its fist slamming hard into the sturdy gauntlets and sending George sliding back over the ice.

The faunus adjusted his stance, dodging the grimm's next few punches as he formulated a plan. As it swung again, he side-stepped the fist, delivering a buzz-saw uppercut into its elbow while driving his own down onto the wrist. A spray of acrid smoke erupted as the Minotaur's arm was severed; falling away and disintegrating instantly.

The grimm recoiled, stumbling backwards before lowering its head and ramming forward into George's chest; sending him flying and rolling across the snow-covered landing pad.

With another roar, it began an awkward forward charge; struggling to balance on three limbs as it powered forward. In that moment Hadrian appeared; dashing out of the garage holding a massive spear and taking a stand between George and the Minotaur. The emotionless soldier planted the butt of his spear in the ice; bracing against the charge.

The Minotaur slammed shoulder-first into the braced weapon; blade piercing clean through and embedding in its flesh. The alpha grimm took a few steps back; grabbing the spear by the shaft and ripping it free before tossing it far aside.

It attempted to swing at Hadrian who dove aside to retrieve his weapon, grasping the spear by a central grip and shaking it vertically to cock the built-in shotgun. He circled around behind, rolling into a crouch and springing forward for additional power; firing off the charged round as he threw to propel the spear at full force into the minotaur's back.

George took advantage of the brutal distraction to recover; standing up and revving the sawblades in his gauntlets to full speed. Lightning began to crackle over the surface as he barrelled towards the powerful grimm; dropping into a slide and crossing his arms over his chest. The blades pushed outwards from their guards, slicing half way through the minotaur's legs and sending it to the ground.

Hadrian followed through, sprinting past George and ripping his spear free of the grimm before plunging it through the back of its neck, firing off another round to jam the blade through its head and delivering the killing blow.

* * *

Personnel file: Stein Grau

A Faunus with a troubled history, originally from Menagerie.

Huntsman status: Provisional; supervised activity only.

Weapon: Dragon Claw; a purpose-built transforming prosthetic featuring armor-rending claws and an integrated Dust dispersal system.

Semblance: Feralization. When severely injured or in extreme danger, Stein enters a mindless rage; gaining increased strength while manifesting additional animal traits.


	6. Chapter 5: Cold War (Side B)

"Sherry, take friends to armory" Callum, Asche, and Hadrian rose immediately; watching as George and Stein vanished through the cafeteria door.

"My kit is probably in the garage. I'll find my way." Benton said with a wave, following Stein and George.

"This way boys. Try to keep up." Sherry directed, grabbing her halberd before making her way around the cafeteria counter; headed for the door.

The woman moved quickly despite her short stature and advanced age, carrying her weapon over one shoulder as she led The Rejects towards the armory. "Sniper's nest is right above the main armory; we mostly just keep the standard issue gear there." the elderly specialist explained, "But when more of our kind turn up, they put their weapons in there until George clears them for service."

It took a few minutes for the team to reach the armory; finding their weapons lined up on a table with a few weapons in need of inspection. "Take what's yours, leave the rest." Sherry instructed, making her way up the access stairs for the sniper's nest.

Asche quickly claimed his trench knives, attaching them to the magnetic holster on his lower back before following Sherry into the nest; leaving Callum and Hadrian behind.

"Head down to keep an eye on Stein." the silver-haired specialist ordered; tucking his sidearm into a belt holster and reclaiming his rifle. "Try to have fun though, yeah?"

"There's plenty of Grimm about," Hadrian said as an unsettling grin stretched across his face, "This should prove quite... satisfactory." the plain looking man grabbed his own weapon from the table; currently in its staff-like form before exiting the armory, following the signs towards the garage.

"Alright lads, got our weapons. I'm heading for the sniper's nest; the others will be along shortly." With orders given and equipment retrieved, Callum at last joined Asche and Sherry in the nest. The nest was a long, narrow room with no ornamentation to speak of. Just wide enough to squeeze behind any snipers already posted at their window. The outward-facing wall featured a dozen windows, each with an armored shutter opened by a lever to the operator's right-hand side.

Asche stood waiting at the far side; tucked against the wall beside an open shutter and waiting for his leader to give the signal.

"Hmm…" Callum pondered briefly; four windows were occupied; three by military snipers and one by Sherry.

The elderly woman kneeled on a cushioned pad at her window, resting her halberd on a hook to help her aim; turning and gesturing for Callum to take the spot next to her.

"Haven't seen one of my own in the Special Operatives Unit for awhile." she said cheerfully as Callum kneeled down beside her, pulling the lever to open his own window.

"Fine looking weapon, what's it called?" Callum offered, deploying Viper's bipod and resting it on the ledge, "This here's Viper." he explained, tapping his left temple. The rifle scope quickly synced with his ocular prosthetic

"I call her Thunderhead. You might want these." Sherry reached into her pocket, passing Callum a set of ear plugs, "They'll work just the same as your ear piece, and keep you from going deaf."

"Appreciate it." Callum quickly swapped his radio earpiece out for the plugs; catching sight of the encroaching Minos as his scope finished syncing.

"What's the ETA?" came Stein's voice.

"Got eyes on, less than a minute out. I count 12." Callum announced, racking the slide on Viper. "Ready to show the locals how we do it?" he asked, turning and winking at Asche.

Having received his signal, the masked Huntsman took a deep breath and dove forward through the window; kicking the lever to seal it as he passed through.

* * *

Asche shoved the air from his lungs, the Wind Dust cartridge in his gas mask boosting the force as he expelled a cloud of smoke; pushing himself out of the head-first dive and slowing his fall. With a loud crash, the masked warrior landed next to George and Stein, "You know it."

The dark haired Huntsman drew the trench knives from his back, holding them in reverse grip as he waited for the stampeding Minos to get into range.

"Why friend use tiny blade? How are you alive?" George asked, arming his own weapon in the process.

"Pay attention big guy, you'll figure it out." Asche teased, taking up a brawler's stance and holding position.

* * *

"How about a little game, kid?" Sherry asked; locking her sights on a Minos as Stein rushed it.

"Don't see why not." Callum agreed; not needing the terms explained. He'd done the same when training his nephew, after all. Rules were simple; match shots and try to keep up.

Sherry fired first, taking aim for one of the horns on the Minos Stein had charged; her arquebus roaring like thunder. Callum was quick to follow, taking aim at the other horn. The rounds connected at nearly the same moment.

"Not bad, rookie." the older woman smiled; this would be fun.

While George and Stein took the lead, Asche stayed back; waiting for the grimm to come to him. When a Minos caught sight and adjusted course to come after the masked soldier, he leaned forward onto his toes, twisting his upper body and spinning on an embedded disk in the sole of his boot; sprinting away and towards the wall of the base.

As the Minos closed in Asche sprinted up the wall a short distance; kicking off and backflipping over the bovine Grimm allowing it to crash head-first into the wall. Taking a breath he landed in a crouch balanced on one foot and turned his head. The Huntsman raised his knives and exhaled, the forceful burst of smoke setting him into a spin that carried his knive clean through his enemy's rear legs before rolling backwards and away.

The Minos recovered from its impact; struggling to pull its horns free with its hind legs weakened; giving Asche another chance to strike.

Pulling the trigger on his right-hand blade, Asche drew in breath; blowing out a scorching cloud of cinders that engulfed the trapped and struggling bull. A hail of bullets echoed out as the snipers perched above eliminated the wounded Grimm; freeing the masked soldier to move on to his next target.

Spinning on his toes he set out further from the base; charging a Minos head-first as he pulled on another breath, this time triggering his left-hand weapon as he dropped to the ground, sliding under the beast and billowing out a freezing mist to encase it in a block of ice.

Asche clicked his heels together, deploying spikes from the soles of his shoes to provide an anchor as he pulled in another deep breath; pursing his lips as he exhaled. The concentrated stream slammed into the frozen Grimm and sent it sliding over the ground to slam into the side of the building where it shattered on impact.

Benton ripped out of the garage on Red moments later, pulling a Minos from the herd and vanishing into the blizzard.

* * *

The base shook as Stein impacted the side. Callum moved quickly; rising from his crouch and sitting on the window ledge, leaning out and aiming his rifle at the reptilian Faunus to get a better look.

As Stein's aura began to crackle, Callum was already prepared to intervene. "Everyone stand clear! He's going feral!" the sniper warned. "Sorry to cut things short, Sherry. Gotta handle this."

As far as the world was concerned Callum simply ceased to be as he engaged his Semblance; all outward signs of his presence vanishing in an instant.

From within the shroud of _isolation_, the sniper dropped from the ledge; firing two rounds downward to slow his fall. A small disturbance in the snow briefly betrayed his position when he landed, followed by a trail of footsteps as he closed in on Stein's position.

Callum arrived just in time to watch his subordinate tear a Minos' throat out with his teeth; spitting out the chunk of rapidly dissolving flesh and ramming his hand claws-first through its neck.

Fresh out of enemies, Stein crouched down resting on his toes and palms, and turned; scanning his surroundings for more things to kill.

Still concealed to all senses, Callum slung Viper over his back, drawing his side-arm and swapping magazines for Stun rounds; circling behind his ally and firing a number of the Lightning-charged rounds into his back.

The feral Faunus collapsed to the ground convulsing as the Dust rounds discharged through his aura; dealing enough damage to break it.

Callum took a few steps away and dropped his shroud; emitting a blast of suppressed light and sound as he came back into view. "You alright, mate?" he asked; circling around and kneeling to check on Stein.

Stein's eyes widened, pupils returning to normal as the effects of his Feralization faded away. The scales on his arm receded rapidly; his clawed hand reverting quickly to its natural fully-human state. "Yeah, I'm good." he mumbled; twitching slightly. "How many wounded?"

"None this time. Smart move getting away from the group." the sniper praised; rising to his feet and offering a hand to help the faunus soldier to his feet. "Head back in; we're almost done here."

"Yeah. Thanks, boss." Shaking his head to clear the lingering fog, Stein quickly retreated through the garage doors, seeking out the infirmary.

"Rampage contained." Callum reported to the team; holstering his sidearm and retrieving Viper from his back. The sniper grasped his rifle's scope; depressing a switch to release the attached barrel.

As Callum pulled his weapon in half the barrel swung forward ahead of the scope, the embedded halves of the blade folding out and blocking the end. Finally a crossguard folded out; completing the transformation from rifle to broadsword.

Next he slid the stock onto a mounting rail on his right gauntlet; causing it to split down the middle and unfold; projecting a hard-light shield as he vanished into Isolation once more.

A trail of footprints appeared in the snow as he charged towards one of the few surviving Minos, dropping his cloak quickly and slashing from a distance; the motion flung out an aqua wave of Aura which crashed into its side, cleaving into the Grimm's armored hide.

As the Minos charged, Callum raise his shield; causing it to expand into a wall-like field ahead of him and halting the charging Grimm. Dropping the barrier, he pivoted to the side, delivering a rising slash through the Minos' vulnerable neck.

"How we doing, Sherry?" he requested; listening for sounds of battle through the storm.

A final crack of thunder rang out, "And that's the last one. Looks like your friend on the bike cleared a few while we were distracted." she reported, "See you boys inside."

* * *

Personnel file: Asche Stauss

A troubled relationship with his father gave Asche issues with authority that have followed him into his later life. Though initially disqualified from Specialist certification, recommendations from Callum and Benton have once again brought his name into consideration.

Huntsman status: Active; under consideration for Specialist promotion

Weapon: Detox; A modified gas mask with Dust cartridges in place of filters. Operated by hand controls embedded in his melee weapon, a pair of trench knives

Semblance: Calabash; Asche is able to convert the contents of his lungs into dense smoke and expel it with substantial force. Confers passive immunity to all air-borne toxins and pathogens; high Dust conductivity.


	7. Chapter 6: Words With Friends

A/N: The plot shall begin at last! Huzzah! Sadly, I chapter 7 is on hold until 11/18/19 while I'm out of town for a convention.

* * *

"Nightshade." Callum's voice echoed through the silent garage as George and The Rejects made their way back inside, catching Hadrian's attention as the others quietly moved on; opting to stay clear of the impending reprimand.

"Yes, commander?" the plain soldier responded; leaning his weapon against the wall and following Callum back out into the storm. The soldier's Aura flickered briefly once eyes were off him.

The silver-haired specialist rested his face in his robotic palm, rubbing his temples. "Hadrian, do you remember the terms of your release?" he asked his subordinate; clearly frustrated.

"Of course, commander. In recompense for the act of criminal negligence in the line of duty I, Hadrian Nightshade, submit to integration with and supervision of the Atlesian 1st Enhanced Infantry. Under terms of release, I am to follow all orders unfailingly and without question." he cited concisely. "Why is this relevant, commander?"

"And what were my orders immediately prior to this engagement?" Callum pressed; lifting his head up and crossing his arms.

"To observe Stein Grau during the impending combat; presumably with the intent to prevent activation of his Semblance." Hadrian offered, "As well as 'try to have fun'"

"And from the sound of things, you did enjoy yourself quite a bit; there's just one problem." the silver-haired specialist narrowed his eyes, "You failed to perform your assigned task. Stein went feral; we're lucky he had the good sense to keep away from the rest of the ground forces."

"I'm not sure I understand the problem, commander. Of the two tasks I was given, I failed only one."

Callum clenched his robotic fist, raising it with intention to strike before grabbing his wrist to stop it. "You had ONE order, not two; and you know it. What did you fuck with this time? Adrenaline? Cortisol?"

"Testosterone and Dopamine, sir." Hadrian responded; eyes locked onto Callum's fist.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to fuck with your Dust damned hormone levels before a fight?!" Callum shouted, taking a few paces away from Hadrian. "Senses only. I don't give a damn if you juice up your hearing or shut down your nerve endings." The veteran soldier pulled a flask from within his parka, opening it and taking a swig to calm his nerves.

"But when you mess with your hormones it puts EVERYONE in danger. I trust you to keep an eye on Stein because you're the only one who can keep a level head when he's charging at you." Taking another swig, Callum let out a defeated sigh; stowing his flask. "But apparently I can't even trust you to do that right. You're on thin ice, mate. Normalize right now or you're spending the night in a cell."

"Very well, commander. You have my apologies." Hadrian's aura manifested visibly; a faint point of light seeming to form within it near the base of his skull as his hormone secretion returned to normal. Next, glowing lines spread out from his spine; reactivating his nerve endings to restore his senses of pain and touch.

"If I catch you messing about with your hormones again, it's game over. I expel you from this unit, they take away what's left of your Huntsman's license; and you spend the rest of your life here."

* * *

"Why friend Callum angry? George asked the waiting Rejects; having gathered in the garage access corridor.

"Hadrian is in the same boat as I am. Well, kind of." Stein explained, tipping his head towards Benton.

"Unlike Stein, Hadrian was once a licensed Huntsman. Currently, they're both on a provisional basis. In Stein's case, it's because of his history pre-enlistment." The Sheriff elaborated, leaning back against the wall. "For Hadrian it's because his poor decisions in the field called his loyalty and trustworthiness into question. Truth be told, Callum is the only reason he isn't an inmate here."

"When Ironwood proposed the Enhanced Infantry project and appointed Callum and I to supervise the unit, he gave us free reign over who to recruit." he continued, pointing at Asche to pass the torch.

"I was the first one they recruited. I'm a licensed Huntsman, but my issues with authority kept them from letting me join the Special Operatives Unit. All three of us sold our souls, in a way." the masked soldier offered, "I was offered a second chance at promotion if my commanding officers decided I was skilled and trustworthy enough to balance things out."

"I used to be with the White Fang." Stein stated plainly, hanging his head in shame, "I left when Ghira Belladonna stepped down as leader. I joined to keep protesters safe, not raid SDC facilities. Enlisted with the military for protection when Sienna sent someone after me. When the council found out my history they threw me in for a court martial. Benton went to bat for me, convinced them to put me under Specialist supervision instead of throwing me in jail."

"And Hadrian?" the bear faunus asked, placing a hand on his chin to stroke his beard.

"Cold, unfeeling sociopath." Benton piped up, "Normally he's clear-headed with impeccable judgement; but when he messes with his hormone production…" The Sheriff trailed off, "Let's just say he prioritizes violence over following orders. They stripped him of his Huntsman's license after an incident in the field and put him on a provisional basis; supervised activity only."

At that moment, Callum and Hadrian returned.

"He's a damned good fighter." the sniper explained, "Can't feel fear, figured he could keep a level head and wrangle Stein if he goes Feral. And it usually works out fine, unless he gets it in his head that going after the enemy is more interesting."

Hadrian remained silent; arms crossed behind his back and attempting to look innocent.

"Which he do when I fight Minotaur?" George asked; dropping his arms to his sides.

"Precisely." Hadrian confirmed, "I misinterpreted my orders and increased production of Testosterone and Dopamine with the intent of boosting aggression and maximizing the thrill of the hunt."

"Is unfortunate. Come to office, friends. Is long day, we tired. People make mistake." The Warden offered, heading back through the maze of corridors leading to his office.

* * *

The Rejects were in George's office only briefly as he lead them through a door into his private quarters. The Warden's quarters were vastly more homey than the cold metal walls and floors of the rest of the prison. A number of large, woven rugs covered the floor; with a bed at one end of the room and a Dust-fueled fire place at the other, surrounded by leather chairs and flanked by a set of sturdy book shelves.

"Hey Papa Bear, still got your bottle?" Benton asked, taking a seat by the fire, "I popped mine when Anise graduated."

"Fond memories. I will fetch." the large faunus confirmed; retrieving a large, hollowed-out book and extracting a bottle filled with golden-amber liquid.

"What's that all about, mate?" Callum asked; his cybernetic eye zooming in on the label as the rest of the team took their seats.

"Is that vintage Vacuan tequila?" the specialist sniper asked, licking his lips. "I understand bringing in a few cases of beer for the troops, but that stuff isn't exactly cheap.

"Story is long. Want hear?" George asked cheerfully; occupying the last seat.

"What the hell mate. Our down time got cut short by the deployment order; may as well unwind before we get to work for real."

George pulled the cork loose, taking a sip and passing it to Benton. "I keep bottle for many year. We never formally agree to save for occasion, but most do." the bear explained, "Since Vytal Festival as student. First year."

"Our team, GRSS, went up against team ONYX from Haven. Some of the best in our generation; but we won, thanks to our leading lady Sabrina. She had her eyes on their leader from the second we stepped into the arena; in more ways than one. Swear they spent as much time flirting as they did fighting." The Sheriff explained; taking a drink and passing it down the line. "After the fight, ONYX turned up at our dorm with a couple cases of this stuff; didn't ask where they got it, still not sure. We managed to drink most of it that night; making friends, talking about our plans after graduation. Come morning we had exactly eight bottles left; so we each kept one as a memento. There wasn't any sort of plan or agreement in place; but in the moment it seemed like the right thing to do. Been more than two decades since then so most of them are gone."

"Me and Sabrina last holdout. Her husband open bottle at wedding, Benton share with sister when graduate; Sangria when open restaurant." George continued, waiting for the bottle to circle back to him.

"I have a feeling her bottle is gone now, too. It'd be just like her to pour one out at the funeral." Benton offered sadly, "As for the other three; one of them went down when Sabrina's daughter was born; husband and his friends celebrating. Another when one of their members opened his own combat school; and the last one turned up empty with a note about returning to the wilds where he belonged."

"Wait a damned minute, mate." Callum raised his voice; taking an extra sip before passing the bottle, "It was you lot that kept my team up all night with the giggling? Me and Rory lost in the doubles because of you."

"Not our fault your team had the room below ours." Benton countered.

"Sounds like I missed out, being stuck in Menagerie when I was academy age." Stein chuckled.

"Something tells me you wouldn't have made it." Asche added casually, "We have trouble handling you sometimes; can't imagine how things might go have gone down before you learned to suppress it."

"Sounds about right." the reptilian Faunus agreed; accepting the bottle as it made its way back to him. "I only know one person on Remnant who can bring me out of it without beating the hell out of me; and she ran off with some guy from Vale ages ago. Part of why I left Menagerie; wasn't safe to be around my family without her there."

"Somebody can actually put you back into line?" Benton leaned forward, focusing his attention on Stein. "Sounds like the kind of person we might want to bring on; if she's still alive after Beacon."

"Wife's little sister. Their family has a history of manifesting healing Semblances, or at least ones that can help people when they're sick." Stein explained, leaning back in his chair and staring into the fire. "She turned out to have a different kind of healing; soothes the soul, can even bring me out of a rage." The red-haired man shook his head, "I saw her name on Callum's list but she's no use as a soldier. Too soft."

"So Papa Bear." the sheriff piped in, "Think it's about time we talk business. Why are we really here?" he inquired, accepting the bottle once more. "Something tells me you know more about these attacks than you're willing to say in public."

"Little Benton know too well." George admitted, cheeks a but flushed from the drink, "Attacks start after Beacon, but not related. Is Old Warden." the bear faunus explained. "He is… bastard. Do bad things to prisoners; guards not like it. They good men."

"What kind of bad?" Callum inquired, raising his brow.

"Cruel things. Beat for breaking tiny rule. Starve for back talking." The Warden explained, visibly upset thinking about it. "So guards beat him; ambush, put in solitary. Ironwood send me to make better."

"Let me get this straight." Asche replied, "Old warden was a real piece of shit, so the guards staged a coup?"

"Now bad man angry; locked in cell. He bring Grimm." George concluded; claiming the bottle and finishing the drink.

"I studied Grimm behavior extensively. Doesn't matter how pissed off he is, no one man can attract THAT many Grimm. Especially ones not native to the continent." Benton countered.

"I know. But is best guess." The Warden admitted in defeat. "Is why I want Sheriff. Little Benton good at solve mystery."

"I lost my old toolkit while we were in Vale. Been having to rebuild it one program at a time.

"Don't worry mate. You had to know what you were doing to make that stuff, right? Between the lot of us, we can puzzle this out." Callum assured; reaching out to pat Benton on the shoulder.

"Okay then. Let's do this."

* * *

Personnel file: Hadrian Nightshade

A cold, purely-rational sociopath. Though he struggles to feel any true emotion, Hadrian suffers from a carefully controlled blood-lust; choosing to fight Grimm to satisfy his desires more out of convenience than morality.

Huntsman status: provisional; supervised activity only

Weapon: Lancet; collapsible spetum/shotgun staff

Semblance: Manual Override; Hadrian is able to -with sufficient concentration- manually adjust his bodily functions; including senses, metabolism and hormone/pheromone production.


	8. Chapter 7: Interviews

"Alright, Papa Bear. What do we know?" Benton inquired; rising from his seat, "There's definitely more going on here than just a pissed off ex-warden."

"Other prisoner know Warden still here." George explained, "But is all I know."

"Well, we've got plenty of men to help figure things out." Callum assured, reaching out to pat George on the shoulder. "Best start by taking stock of the prison. I'll need access to the prisoner manifests; should probably give The Sheriff access to the security hub."

"Once I've got access to prison security I can put together a toolkit exclusively for The Ice Box. Won't really replace my old one, but should be sufficient for the task at hand." Benton confirmed; waiting for the others.

"I think we should put a man on the inside." Stein piped up, joining Benton and Callum at the door. "I'll volunteer for the job. Still got my Fang tattoo, might be able to find some temporary friends." the reptilian Faunus pulled down the collar of his shirt, showing the others the edge of a White Fang emblem on his chest.

"Not a bad idea mate, but let's hold off on that. One of your old pals might be here." Callum countered, "Alright George, lead the way."

The warden lead the rejects away from his quarters and office; following the signs towards the prison security center, "Security center is with secondary armory near cell block A. Used to be main block, but when I come I have rebuild as dorms. Guards stay there now; and you." George explained as they travelled, "block B is where keep general population; block C is solitary."

"Replacing your main cell block with dorms seems an odd choice, Warden. Why would you do such a thing?" Hadrian asked, breaking his silence.

"Barracks suck. Shift change make hard to sleep; no privacy." George responded matter of factly, "Dorm is good. Assign guard in pair, put together. They make friend; work together better. Improve morale, like Sherry"

"Teamwork makes the dream work." Asche agreed, "Still miss my old team; well, except this asshole." he pointed over his shoulder at Hadrian, "Stuck with him until Dust knows when."

* * *

"Alright boys; you three get us moved in.." Benton instructed, gesturing to a pile of duffel bags. A brief detour had pulled George and The Rejects back to the loading bay to retrieve their belongings. "One of you will end up living in the cells for awhile; who that is depends on what we find in the prisoner manifests." The Sheriff explained, waving as he parted ways with the others. "So don't start unpacking just yet."

With that,Benton left Asche, Hadrian and Stein to deal with the bags; headed for the security room to meet up with Callum and George.

"So, who do you think it's gonna be?" Asche asked; grabbing his and Callum's bags, stepping aside to give the others access.

"Either me or you. Callum isn't too thrilled with him right now." Stein retorted, tipping his head towards Hadrian. "You really fucked up back there, man." collecting his own bag as well as Benton's, the Faunus soldier turned to head back out of the loading bay; towards cell block A.

"I am aware, Stein. My actions were foolish; I placed my own desires above the task I was given." Hadrian responded plainly, collecting his duffel. "I assure you it shall not happen again."

"No offense buddy, but yes it will." the masked soldier said accusingly, "Don't you EVER forget how you wound up with this unit; or what happened in Vale."

"What happened in Vale?" the Guard Captain appeared through the doors leading back into the base, "Boss sent me to show you to your rooms. We can walk and talk, if you'd like.

"No offense, Captain. But it's none of your business." Asche returned sharply, "We failed the mission, and that's all you need to know. I'll find my own way." With that, the masked Huntsman departed; shoving his way past the commander.

"Is everything alright with him?" the guard inquired, "Didn't seem that angry before."

"He's got more history with Hadrian than any of us Rejects. Callum and Benton know more than I do; read the files when they recruited him."

"You are aware I'm still here, correct?" Hadrian interjected, crossing his arms.

"I am, and you don't care." Stein countered, "No matter how hard you try, you can't."

"As you insist, Stein. I'll follow Asche to the rooms" the plain soldier departed; not bothered by the discussion.

"Can we talk a minute, Sir?" The captain requested, sitting down on a cargo crate. "We never had proper introductions. Eberhard Voll; but people just call me Ebb."

"Stein Grau." the red haired man sighed, dropping the bags by the door and sitting on a crate facing Ebb. "What's up?"

"I saw what happened during the battle; your Semblance, I assume?" the captain removed his helmet, revealing his face; wrinkled and scarred. "Never been one for interrogations, but I need to know. Is that ability of yours a threat to my men?"

"It's called Feralization." the large faunus offered, pulling a metal carton from his pocket to retrieve a cigarette. "You smoke?" he held the box out to the captain.

"Occasionally," Ebb accepted, pulling a smoke from the container. "Got a light?" the elderly captain requested; holding it out.

"Always," Stein clenched his fist, allowing his hand to rotate out. He extended his clawed thumb, releasing a small flame at the end and using it to light Ebb's before his own. "Like I said, my Semblance is called Feralization. Name pretty much explains it; when I'm in enough danger or take a big enough hit, it goes off like a bomb."

"You're not making me feel much better about this, Stein." the elderly guard admitted, tucking the cigarette in the corner of his mouth, "Just… explain exactly what it does?"

Stein flexed his clawed prosthetic, "Physically, it's almost like gaining extra Faunus parts. Claws on my hands, and scales up my arms, to my chest and back." the large man clenched his fist to transform the prosthetic back to its resting state.

"It's what happens to my head that's a problem." the red-haired Faunus continued, "My mind gets foggy, and then goes blank entirely. I'm like a wild animal; and a pissed off one at that. If I see something even vaguely threatening, I try to kill it." he admitted, hanging his head.

"Callum didn't seem to have much trouble dealing with you." Ebb noted, "If you're so dangerous, why was it so easy for him?"

"Because I've spent the last ten years learning to suppress it for as long as possible. Right now my Aura needs to go into the red for it to kick in; that, or I've gotta be cornered by something five times my size."

"Far from ideal." the captain decided, "But as long as you promise to stay away from my people when things are going down; I think I can give you the go-ahead to remain on base."

"I appreciate it, Cap. Truth is, I'm not sure what I'd do if I didn't have the other Rejects around to contain me." Stein let out a relieved sigh as Ebb ended his interrogation. "So, what's kept an old man like you here? Look like you should've retired years ago. Gone back home to Atlas."

"Back in Atlas most people only care about themselves; the next mission or promotion is all that matters. Not here." he explained, taking a drag and coughing softly. "I ain't got siblings, never got married, never had kids; but working here I've never regretted it. The first warden was my best friend. The other old timers are my brothers and sisters. The rookies? The kids I never had." Ebb continued, removing the smoke from the corner of his mouth and holding it between two fingers. "How much did George tell you about his predecessor?

"A bit." Stein nodded, staring at his lit cigarette, "Not much in the way of details, though."

"That bastard wasn't one of us; not part of the family. Didn't give a shit about us guards and HATED the prisoners. Especially the Faunus." Ebb stated bitterly, "We've got a lot of White Fang types here. Can't blame him for not liking them, but he went too far. This one lady in particular got him worked up bad enough that I had to put my foot down. Had him arrested and thrown into solitary."

Having told his story, Ebb glanced up at Stein, locking eyes. "You don't smoke, do you?" the captain leaned forward; resting his arms on his knees, "So why carry those around?"

"I light one up every time I go feral. Smell reminds me to be better." the red haired soldier offered, "Better than my old man. He had the rage too. And my grandpa; great grandpa. My son. It's in our blood"

"That's rough, kid." the captain shook his head, tapping the ashes from his cigarette, "Can't be an easy thing to live with."

"I was terrified the first time I came out of it; beat to hell with my fist clean through a Beowolf's chest." Stein continued, a sad look in his cold gray eyes, "My old man couldn't even be bothered to warn me. I knew I had to be better. Unlocked my boy's aura and told him about the burden her carried the day I left home. Went all-in hoping he would learn to control it before he was strong enough to do any lasting damage."

"Do you really think leaving was the right choice? You could have stayed. Taught him how to do it." Ebb suggested, taking a long pull from the smoke and tossing the butt over his shoulder.

"It's too late to change it now; earning this-" Stein rapped his knuckles against his prosthetic, "Taught me an important lesson. We can't change the past; looking back at what was or could have been only causes heartache."

"How did you lose the arm, anyways?" Ebb pressed, "Sounds like it wasn't in the line of duty."

"An old friend who couldn't let go; from my time with the White Fang. When I left, I broke our leader's heart. He loved her more than anyone and blamed me for what happened." Stein answered plainly, regret clear in his eyes.

"Did she-" the captain began; only to be cut off by Stein raising his hand.

"Gonna stop you there. She's still alive, as far as I know. She started to doubt the cause when I left. Rest of our cell tried to bring her spark back, but the damage was done. She turned herself in three years ago, and that's when he came for me."

"What would you do if you had a chance to take it back. Try to set things right?" Ebb asked; removing himself from his seat.

"I'd tell her the truth. Leaving was the right call; I had my doubts until our brothers and sisters attacked Beacon. But like I said, looking back doesn't do anyone any good. Gotta keep going forward." Stein dropped his cigarette, crushing it under foot as he turned to leave.

"Vasilisa." Ebb spoke, and Stein turned back to face him. "I wasn't talking hypotheticals, kid. She's here. Flagged down one of the guards and started asking about you before the ship even landed."

"That why we got such a hostile welcome?" The large faunus raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"When a former White Fang lieutenant starts asking about one of her old goons, it raises some major red flags about base security. Can't blame me for sending out extra guards just to be safe."

"Not sure how I feel about being called a goon. I'm glad to know she's safe, though. She the one the old warden got pissy about?"

"Got it in one. Something about her really got under the old bastard's skin. Follows every rule, never complains. Doesn't start fights or try to escape. Made him paranoid; so he started looking for excuses to put her in solitary or cut her rations."

"But she didn't let it get to her, right? Vas always had nerves of steel. Stronger will than anyone I've ever met. Only one thing on Remnant can break her spirit; and I'm the poor bastard who did it." Stein dropped his head as old guilt began to surface. "I abandoned her family the same way I did my own."

"I think we've wasted enough time out here, soldier." Ebb stated firmly, retrieving his scroll and sending a message to the security team, "Just gave you full clearance. If you want to humor your old boss, go ahead; can get into Cell Block B any time you want." the old soldier waved over his shoulder as he left the hangar, "I'll be seeing you, kid. Got two more of these interviews to handle before the day's out."

"So you trust me, but why let me talk to Vas?" the red haired faunus asked; following Captain Voll out of the hangar; placing a hand on the guard's soldier to stop him. "Aren't you worried I might turn traitor?"

"You're a free man, Stein. If you want to talk to one of the inmates, there's no rules against it." Ebb waved a hand dismissively, "Besides, there's a camera pointed at each cell day and night. You try anything funny, the boys in the security hub will set off every alarm in the base."

The large faunus removed his hand from Ebb's shoulder, allowing the captain to depart. The scroll in Stein's pocket beeped as his clearance updated. Withdrawing the device, he stared at the screen; now displaying a map of The Ice Box. Shaking his head, he retrieved the bags and departed for Cell Block A.

* * *

"Should we be worried about that?" Benton asked, his attention on a camera monitoring the hangar as it displayed Asche seeming to snap at Hadrian before walking out.

"She'll be right." Callum dismissed, having taken a seat nearby to read through the prisoner manifest, "Don't recognize many names on the manifest." the sniper noted, scrolling through the list, "That… might be a problem, though."

"What's up?" The Sheriff spun his chair around to face Callum, "Somebody we know?"

"Vasilisa Stepichev; former White Fang." the silver-haired soldier read off, "Sound familiar?"

"That lieutenant who turned herself in? Wasn't Stein part of her cell?" Benton inquired, grabbing his own scroll to bring up the prisoner file. "Definitely takes him out of the running to be our inside man; but I'm not worried about his loyalty. Stein is a good man."

"Was thinking about her Semblance. Was something mental, right?" Callum corrected, "Think she can get inside his head?"

"If she could he wouldn't have left. You can keep an eye on him if you'd like; but I wouldn't worry about it." The Sheriff returned his focus to the security system; placing his scroll down on the console to establish a link. "With Stein and Hadrian out of the running, looks like we're putting Asche in the cells" Benton concluded, "You can head to the… barracks, I guess? Let the others know."

"Pulling an all nighter, eh?" Callum guessed, stowing his scroll, "G'night then, I suppose." the sniper removed himself from his chair, strolling out of the room and giving a quick wave over his shoulder.

"Sleep is for the weak. And people who like sleep." Benton quipped, setting to work with the security system.

* * *

Callum yawned as he entered Cell Block A; joining Asche, Stein, and Hadrian near a pair of rooms marked as vacant. "Right boys, decisions been made." the sniper declared, "Stein, Hadrian, make yourselves comfortable. Asche is gonna be playing prisoner."

"Figured as much; the captain told me Vas is here." Stein shrugged, opening the door behind him and throwing his bag onto one of the beds.

"Saves me some explaining, then. Can't risk having her out you." the silver-haired specialist confirmed. "Gonna have to get Asche proper before we take him in. Knives, please." he extended an open hand to the masked soldier.

Asche removed pulled up his shirt, unbuckling the wide belt containing his magnetic sheathes and pressing it into Callum's hand. "Mask too?" he moved to remove it.

"Unless you've got dummy filters. Otherwise, we'll fit you with a standard respirator." Callum confirmed; watching as Asche removed his mask and passed it over. "Respirator it is."

Stein raised his hand, "Question, sir." he spoke, "Permission to speak with Vasilisa?"

"Granted, but keep it off the floor. I'll have her brought to an interrogation room." Callum nodded, raising his hand and tapping his ear piece, "Specialist Abate to intake; need to fit one of ours with a jumpsuit. And find him a respirator while you're at it."

"Not so fast, sir." Ebb interrupted, appearing behind them, "Before we can send him in I need to clear Mister Stauss for facility access."

"I was under the impression we had been cleared by George himself." Hadrian commented, tilting his head in imitation of confusion.

"You've been cleared for combat and general access. Warden may get to decide who can carry weapons; but I decide who can go into secure areas." Ebb explained, gesturing for Asche to follow, "Shouldn't be a problem though. I'll show Mr Stauss to Intake, we can talk on the way."

"Rules are rules." Asche shrugged; a few wisps of smoke escaping from his mouth as he spoke.

Ebb and Asche waved to The Rejects as they departed, not speaking until the door closed behind them.

"Introductions first, name's Eberhard Voll. But people just call me Ebb." the guard captain offered as the pair made their way towards the intake center.

"Asche Stauss." the unmasked Huntsman returned, his breath carrying a strong smell of smoke.

"So Asche, heard you've got issues with authority. That gonna be a problem?" Ebb inquired casually, walking past a sign directing them towards Intake.

"Shouldn't we be going that way?" Asche raised an eyebrow; following after Captain Voll.

"Scenic route. Answer the question, please." the captain dismissed.

"Fine. Issue isn't with authority, it's with jackasses." the soldier offered bluntly. "I can follow orders just fine, as long as they make sense."

Ebb nodded, turning his head to glance at Asche, "Any disciplinary issues I should know about since you joined The Rejects?" he returned his focus to the road ahead.

"Callum and Benton are… different from the others I've worked under. Never been given an order that I didn't agree with." Asche explained, a trail of smoke escaping as his concentration slipped.

The captain sniffed the air, "Hey, no smoking in the hall-" Ebb stopped, spinning about on his heels. "What the hell?" he looked around, no cigarettes in sight.

"I don't smoke." Asche pursed his lips, blowing a ring of smoke into Ebb's face, "That mask ain't for my benefit."

"Was that really necesarry?" Ebb sighed, waving a hand to clear the smoke. "Right. This way, please." the captain gestured towards a nearby janitor's closet; swiping his scroll to unlock it. "Let me see…" he looked around, grabbing a fume mask from a hook and tossing it to Asche.

Asche donned the respirator, adjusting the straps to fit properly. "Appreciate it, Cap." the re-masked soldier gave a thumbs up. "So, what were we talking about?"

Captain Voll tapped his ear piece, "Ebb to intake; cancel the respirator, send it to the janitor's closet near Cell Block A." he ordered, letting his hand drop to his side, "I'm guessing you're not a specialist because of your issue with jackasses?"

"One specific jackass and a catastrophically failed mission." Asche offered, following as Ebb closed the door and resumed the walk towards Intake. "For reasons I'll never understand, Hadrian was the leader of my team back in the day. We stayed together for a very very long time, until things went sideways on a mission. He gave me an order I refused to follow. Brass reviewed the reports after; he lost his license, I was denied Specialist promotion. Then Callum and Benton turn up, recruit us for the 1st Enhanced Infantry project."

"That why they call you The Rejects?" Ebb inquired, turning down the hall towards intake, "Stein is ex White Fang, you and Hadrian got in trouble with the brass?"

"Pretty much. We picked the name ourselves; people respect Callum and Benton, but we're the guys nobody else wanted. Doesn't really bother us so we figured we'd just roll with the punches."

"Well I've heard enough. You're cleared for service." the captain stopped at the door to intake, swiping his scroll over the scanner to unlock it. "Good luck, soldier."

"Word to the wise, chief." Asche paused before going in, "Be careful with Hadrian. He's not especially dangerous, but you can't always believe what he says. Tends to have a very skewed view of things." the masked soldier shook Ebb's hand before stepping into the intake room to prepare for his assignment. "See you on the other side, Ebb."

* * *

Personnel File: Captain Voll

Eberhard has been assigned to The Ice Box longer than anyone. 30 years on the job serving under 3 different wardens. Orchestrated the guard revolt to imprison George's predecessor when he deemed The Old Warden's treatment of the inmates to be unacceptable.

Service status: Active

Weapon: standard issue Atlesian combat rifle

Semblance: N/A; Aura inactive


End file.
